We met online through an app called Boo that uses Myers-Briggs personality type as part of it's matching algorithm. (We're both INFP's). Our first few messages seemed promising to us both as we talked about our travels/interest in other cultures as well as music & books. According to Johanna, we texted briefly, according to Joel, we texted a lot, and agreed to meet for coffee.

Our first coffee date (end of January 2024) was 8 days after we'd first sent some messages on the app. We met for coffee at Echo Coffee, and it was a hit- we talked for several hours without realizing it (linguistics and cats featured heavily in this conversation) and when we left Johanna was so smitten she tried to get in someone else's KIA soul.

Our first few dates were spent at a boardgame cafe, an art exhibit at Johanna's work, a lunar new year street market, a folk concert, and an Ash Wednesday service on Valentine's Day. By the end of February, we were meeting up multiple times a week and pretty sure we'd found someone special. Some of our favorite and most meaningful early dates were watching Dune/getting Bánh Mì sandwiches, a Rakija (Serbo-Croatian spirits) tasting and walk around Tempe Town Lake, Ethiopian food and Phoenix Rising Soccer game, the Musical Instrument Museum for a St. Patrick's Day jam, & a trip to the Ren Fair and Cider Corps.